Amazon has hired its first Europe-wide diversity head for its Prime Video and Studios businesses – BBC diversity lead Miranda Wayland.
In the newly-created role of Europe-wide role of head of diversity, equity and inclusion for Amazon Studios and Prime Video, Wayland will work with European commissioning team and other departments.
She leaves the BBC after five years, having joined in 2017 as BBC Studio diversity lead and then BBC head of creative diversity in 2020, adding internal BBC diversity and inclusion last year.
Prior to that, Wayland was ITV’s diversity manager for a decade.
At the BBC, she was instrumental in introducing disability ‘passports’, which are now being adapted and rolled out across other broadcasters including ITV, Channel 4, UKTV and Paramount UK.
Speaking at Mip TV last year, Wayland said “authenticity” was key to on-screen representation, arguing that a “strong black lead” was not enough.
“It’s great having landmark shows with key characters, but it’s about making sure everything around them – their environment culture, the set – is absolutely reflective,” she said. “Our commissioners continue to have those dialogues about how to get authenticity of character correct.”
